Hi I wonder if anyone can help me.  I wanted advice on the best way to identify puppies to check weight gain etc.  A lot of the books Ihave researched suggest using ribbon but is there not a risk with this method?

Knicker elastic dipped in different colours of food dye works well.

That sounds like an interesting one!

There's been a thread on this in the last couple of days - I'm lucky, my RRs are relatively easy to tell apart but I think I'd choose to clip a tiny bit of fur from a different place on each pup, or mark a different claw with nail varnish, rather than put something around their necks.

painting a different toe with tippex is best (the nail is too small). it washes off eventually.

someone told me paper colour collars..

or hospital id bands. let me know as iam waiting for my dog to have her pups to.

I will have to see if I can locate any paper collars, or perhaps the tippex/nail varnish may work well.  Thanks for all the ideas.

I've heard paper collars and nail varnish recommended. Luckily if I ever breed it'll be particolour Cavaliers so hopefully they'll be easy to identify!! :-D

Friends of mine make plaited collars out of soft wool using different colours for the different pups, renewing them each week as the pup grows but sticking to the same colour for each.

Are you not worried the little critters may get tangled up with their collars, and/or choke themselves?? Asking as a non-breeder.

That would worry me too tbh, but I've heard of it quite a lot. Perhaps because they're not as mobile as older puppies, or because the breeder would be watching the litter closely, it's ok? I don't know! :-)

Having had 2 very nasty experiences with dogs and collars - I couldn't bring myself to put something round puppies' necks!

That's why I use knicker elastic. Also if I don't renew the collar with a longer one (always the same colour) early enough elastic won't cause discomfort.

What I meant was, the risk of them getting strangled.  Or even, the chance of the elastic / wool getting swallowed.

Not with tiny babies just wriggling across the vetbed. When they are older I use coloured puppy collars with safety snaps.

That sounds safer than just elastic.  i've not seen those collars - but then, I suppose, I haven't been looking for them.  I think I'd still go for marking toes or nails though.  Too much of a traumatic experience with puppies getting caught in each others' collars and nearly killing each other in the past!

I have 3 black and tan pups here and one is a little smaller but the other 2 are so similar i kept getting them muddled I just snipped a small bit of hair ..only a few strands it hardly notices but now i can tell them apart and it will soon grow back ........

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Hi,

Sorry I didn't get back to this.

No, they haven't lost a pup in 20 litters, soft wool does have some elasticity about it and they are renewed weekly to accomodate for growth.  Pups get referred to as Mr Black, or Miss Pink etc. - which is cute!

I put nail polish but just a little little dot for example  on the tail of the second born , the back paw left ,then back paw right. Nothing on first puppy born. If you have a breed with more puppies then change the colour.

Edited to add. DO NOT put it near their heads for the fumes.

i have westies and use crayola washable felt tips on the base of the tail,it comes off but you can just colour them back in!

i tried nail olish with one of my litters but the mother carried on so mch about the smell that i had to remove it and any smells that were left.  Try the pen option as not so much odour. The odour doesnt bother every girl but it could  just so you are aware

I use the attachment on mens shaver for trimming sideburns/beards.  As all the pups are the same dark colour nail polish doesn't show up, neither do pens.  Will depend on what colour your pups are.  My pups have their coat cut in different places (neck, middle back, bum, left/right belly etc).   it means they can lick each other and mum can lick them without anything harmful going into their systems, or it washing off.

If you use pens/crayons, see if they contain any toxic chemicals first as I have had one dog take a severe reaction to a crayon.